England is preparing to let fully vaccinated American citizens enter the country without needing to self-isolate under new plans that would see health officials recognise COVID-19 vaccines administered in other countries.
Travel restrictions were eased on July 19 for double jabbed travellers arriving in England but at the moment only British citizens and residents who received their vaccinations through the National Health Service (NHS) are eligible to skip a mandatory 10-day self-isolation requirement when travelling from an Amber List country like the United States.
In effect, the rules mean foreign visitors who have had a COVID-19 jab approved in England still have to quarantine while a British citizen who has received the same vaccine can skip isolation on their return.
The first step in recognising vaccinations administered in another country will be to accept certification of British expats who have had their COVID-19 shots abroad. Expats will be required to contact their GP back in England who can update their vaccine records on a centralized computer system.
Then, the government is working on a plan to recognise vaccines from non-British travellers who had their jabs in one of 33 countries that reciprocally recognise COVID-19 vaccines administered in Britain.
Expats will be invited to get in touch with their GP by the end of the month, while the plans to recognise foreign vaccine certificates will be revealed: “very soon”.
But while England might soon be willing to welcome fully vaccinated Americans, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says American citizens should avoid all travel to the UK due to “very high” levels of COVID-19 in the country.
The US State Department followed the lead of the CDC last Monday by issuing its own Level 4: Do Not Travel advisory. The State Department previously advised American citizens to ‘reconsider travel’ to the UK citing the risk of COVID-19.
